


never have to sacrifice us

by clarakent (niewanyin)



Series: Tim Drake Week [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Bart Allen, Alpha Cassie Sandsmark, Alpha Dick Grayson, Alpha Kon-El | Conner Kent, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Omega Tim Drake, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22343446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niewanyin/pseuds/clarakent
Summary: Tim has always wondered about his platonic soulmates.
Relationships: Bart Allen & Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent & Cassie Sandsmark, Tim Drake/Dick Grayson
Series: Tim Drake Week [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607260
Comments: 19
Kudos: 328





	never have to sacrifice us

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Tim Drake Week Day 2, Soulmates.
> 
> Here's the [translation into Chinese](http://wlxmm0810.lofter.com/post/1eb3ff29_1c8c96b8c) done by [SereneKent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneKent/pseuds/SereneKent)

Tim has known that Dick Grayson is his romantic soulmate for years, ever since he walked into the BatCave after saving Batman and Nightwing from Two Face. Dick Grayson had immediately begun stripping out of his uniform, a combination of what Tim assumed was partly instinct and partly total lack of bodily shame. Tim had squeaked and had averted his eyes from the incredible everything of Dick Grayson, but not before he saw the soulmark on Dick's bicep, the same one that he had himself.

Dick had laughed, shrugging it off as just shock as he put on a shirt, but Tim had lifted up his sleeve so Dick could see the mark. The lily of the valley that curled on their biceps, and Tim remembering that while Dick Grayson has been in many compromising pictures, he has always worn a sleeve over that bicep.

Bruce had jumped up in shock, Alfred had gasped, and Dick's eyes had filled with wonder and delight as he reached out to touch the flower on Tim's skin, his fingers dancing lightly on Tim's arm, causing him to shiver. Tim had instinctively known throughout his entire life that this was the mark that belonged to his romantic soulmate, but he never would have guessed that it would have ever matched one that Dick Grayson had.

"We're soulmates," he whispered, tears filling his eyes as he looked down at Tim, moving closer. "Tim, this is incredible."

Tim nods, a lump caught in his throat because he's looking in the eyes of his romantic soulmate right now. He doesn't know what he wants to do right now. Say that he's sorry, hug Dick, turn around and run? Does he want to admit that he has no idea where to go from here or what to tell his parents? Should he say how utterly scared he is or that the feeling going through his body is one of pure elation? He has a million and one thoughts and emotions going through his body and mind, but he can do anything other than stand here, paralyzed by them all.

Dick pulls him into a bone-crushing hug, and Tim decides that he doesn't need to do anything other than sigh deeply, close his eyes, and wrap his arms around Dick. All of his troubles feel gone and away right now, and he knows that one person will be by his side when they come back.

*

Tim is one of the lucky people in the world to have both a romantic soulmate and a platonic soulmate. Dick is as well, his platonic soulmate Wally. It's nice to watch the two of them together, happy and content with their relationship, even though he knows people always kept trying to push them in a romantic relationship just because Dick was an alpha and Wally an omega. Even when Wally met Linda and gave birth to Jai and Irey, people would still make comments. It's only meeting Tim that seems to have made people finally calm down and accept the fact that Dick and Wally will never be anything more than the very best of friends.

And Tim just wants to meet his.

Dick and Wally, the two nerds, had their bond marked by a fucking science beaker on their calves.

Tim's platonic soulmark is just as pretty as his romantic soulmark, but instead of a lily of the valley, it's a dogwood tree with four roots, and Dick thinks he means that he's part of a rare cluster of multiples. He's one of the four roots, and now they just need to find the other three and Tim will be happy and content in his life.

Tim doesn't know if that's true, but it is nice to imagine that there are three other people out there who in some ways are literally made for him. He wonders what they're like, and he wonders if they're really willing to put up with him. If like Dick, and unlike his parents, they won't roll their eyes once he gets started on a tangent about computers or W&W or Harry Potter. He imagines what they would like and think and the ways they would act, but there are so many possibilities that it causes him to freeze up because he can't genuinely imagine his platonic soulmates or what fulfilling that bond would be.

Not when he already has Kon, Cassie, and Bart.

*

They don't talk about their soulmates. Either platonic or romantic. He knows that Kon and Cassie have romantic marks, and he knows that Bart doesn't. He doesn't know if they have platonic marks, it's not something he asks about even though it's not frowned upon in society. He just doesn't want to hear that they don't have marks or their marks are different than his because Tim wants to keep the fantasy alive. The fantasy that they _are_ his platonic soulmates.

It's the only thing he really wants in the world.

Well, not the only thing, but it's one of the things he wants most in this world. He can't imagine feeling safer than he does when he falls asleep in the middle of a cuddle-pile with the three of them, their alpha rumbling making him feel protected even when he's feeling vulnerable in a heat. Or a pre-heat. Or a post-heat. Or during a bad nightmare. Or just because he felt a little sad.

And he does the same to them because despite everything in the world, there's no where that he can imagine being so happy and complete that with his friends. Except for Dick's arms, but Dick is different because there's a strange piece of awkwardness between them, because of their age gap.

Because Dick broke up with Kori when he found out that they were soulmates.

And Tim's too old to ignore all those details that he didn't notice when he was younger, and too young to really know how to bring it up to Dick or discuss it. So Kon, Cassie, and Bart are a welcome distraction when those thoughts are too loud and too overwhelming. It's something that helps make the entire world make sense.

With a sigh, Tim blinks his eyes open, staring into Cassie's golden hair. Kon's arm is slung around him, pulling him close to his body, Tim's back to his chest, while Cassie holds him close and presses them together from the front. Bart is curled up in a line above their heads, his fingers curled in Tim's hair like he was petting it before he fell asleep.

It takes Tim a second to remember how this cuddle-pile started, but a slow wave of heat comes over and Tim grimaces.

Fuck.

He spends a lot of his heats at the Tower, because there's something about being near the three that makes him feel _safe_.

Kon sighs deeply and pulls Tim closer to him, and Cassie and Bart follow them. They're all still sound asleep, and Tim thinks about getting up, but then brushes the thought of it aside. He doesn't want to get up, not when he's so warm and comfortable. He takes a deep breath and then settles back into Kon's chest. He presses his face further into Cassie's hair, and Bart's fingers curl in his hair tighter by instinct. Kon starts purring low in his throat, and instantly Tim's entire body goes boneless. This is what he needs right now, the pure comfort of his friends making him feel safe even when his body starts to complain over its biological process.

He flushes when he feels the slick start to leave him because he forgot to put on the stupid heat pad last night, but he doesn't bother getting out of his friend's hold. He knows that he's the only one who feel embarrassed about it, and they don't think anything about it. They just laugh and joke around and in general make him feel okay about his body and what it has to go through.

Of course, that doesn't mean he still can't personally hate it though.

He takes a deep breath because he doesn't want to wake them up, but a low roll of cramps roll over his stomach and he can't stop the soft sob that he breathes out into Cassie's hair, and her response is immediate. Her eyes fly open and she pulls back just enough to look at Tim, frowning, her eyes wide with sympathy. "Kon, Bart," she snaps, and immediately they wake up. "Code T."

Code T is their term for when Tim goes into heat and he needs to be moved and made comfortable elsewhere. Indeed, before Tim knows it, he's being tucked into his bed in the tower by Kon, Bart decorating his bedside dresser with food and drink, and Cassie helping him get comfortable with the heating pad before settling down next to him and starting to comb her fingers through his hair. His eyes are filling with tears as he lets their care wash over him. "We'll call Dick," Cassie mutters. "He'll be over to hang out with you in a little bit."

Tim nods. His heat is awkward around Dick sometimes, because he can feel the unspoken pressure from society for them to be . . . well, for Dick to fuck him until he can't stand. He and Dick don't talk about it, and some heats Tim really wants to feel him on his skin, on top of him, moving inside him. But most heats Tim feels too gangly and awkward and young to be around Dick for the most part. It's hard to predict. And that's why he likes Dick coming to the Tower, awkward and unsure himself, and it makes them feel more equal. Like Tim isn't some young kid that came into Dick's life to mess it all up, but like . . . like they were in this together.

He curls up in his bed, his friends settling down next to him. "Thanks," he mutters. He can still feel the slick leaking out of him, but he decides to do something about it later. Mainly, he doesn't think he can move his legs right now, because they feel weak and strange like nothing's going to work. Just like they do every heat.

"Tell me a story," he whispers, because he doesn't want to sleep, but he doesn't want to do anything that requires any attention other than listening to his friends soft voices.

"What do you want to hear about?" Kon asks with a laugh.

Heat makes his mind strange, and Tim can't stop his curiosity as the words, "Do you have a platonic soulmate?" slips through his mouth and spill into the world. He squeezes his eyes shut, biting his lip because he really is a fucking idiot. That's just . . . that's just the rudest thing to ask, but Cassie doesn't stop running her fingers through his hair. Kon coughs in surprise, but then shifts, adjusts his shoulders. "Uh . . . yeah, actually."

He does? God, that soulmate is going to be so lucky to have Kon in their life when they meet him.

"Huh." Tim blinks away tears. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah," Kon says, and Tim can hear the smile on his voice. "It's actually a cool mark, see it? It's a dogwood tree."

Tim's head snaps up. So do Cassie and Bart, all turning to stare at Kon in shock, staring at the dogwood tree on his right bicep.

Wordlessly, they roll up their shirts, showing _their_ marks.

Dogwood trees.

They turn to look at Tim, who lifts up his sleeve with shaking hands, because he has the same thing, the same symbol, a dogwood tree, his hope was real and he's platonic soulmates with the three of them and the next thing he knows, he's laughing. It's high and more than slightly hysterical, but happiness is filling his bones because these are his _soulmates._ He was literally made for them.

He sits up, Cassie's arm around his shoulder, and he can't stop smiling.

"Soulmates," Bart whispers. "Holy shit, we're soulmates!"

He jumps onto the bed, knocking over Cassie and Tim, and somehow manages to grab onto Kon's shirt to bring him down too. They're laughing, unable to control it, and Tim ends up in Cassie's arms with Bart's head in his lap and his feet in Kon's.

His face feels like it's going to break under the force of his grin.

Cassie kisses the top of his hair. Her hands creep up into his shirt and rub the dogwood tree, and Tim can feel delirious tears prick his eyes.

"Soulmates," he whispers, and the words feel right.

There's no change in his fundamental mind because he has found his other parts long ago, but he knows now, knows in his conscious mind, that he can stop looking.

He’s known them all along.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm salazarastark on tumblr as well, so follow me [here](https://salazarastark.tumblr.com/)! I'm not as active as I'd like to be, but I'm always up for talking about my fics or anything else!


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